Types of car seat approval and
vehicle application lists

There are 3 types of car seat approvals: universal, semi-universal and vehicle specific. This allows you to know if a seat fits your car and is approved to the safety standards for it. Universal approval isn't vehicle specific, and the seat is approved for installation in all cars. You should however check that the seat fits really well in your vehicle.

The seat is approved for use in all vehicles that meet ECE R14 and R16 regulations. In the case of ISOFIX the child seat MUST have the TopTether connected to the car's anchorage points. In all ISOFIX cases this solution must be used and the vehicle's handbook must state that the car is suitable for "Universal ISOFIX Child Seats".

Semi-universal approval is when, in addition to any standard requirements, other safety devices for attaching a seat are used and require additional testing, (check lists here). For example: some cars provide additional storage space within or beneath the floor area that can influence the behavior of a foot prop, therefore you need to check if your car appears on the vehicle list.

The car seat is tested in an additional car-specific dynamic crash test and approved only for these cars. The car MUST appear on the child seat manufacturer's application list (vehicle lists at www.britax-roemer.eu). This may include special features or designs that can only be installed in a car of a specific type.

What is the "current list of approved cars" in connection with ISOFIX?

Child seats are approved to ECE R 44/03 and 44/04 in various categories, always for different modes for installation and use. In some cases, especially for the installation with ISOFIX, the cars in which the seats are approved are shown in a "current list of approved cars". For some BRITAX seats several installation modes are applicable, and depending on the installation mode the list of approved cars may have to be observed.